Data Analyst - Sponsored Programs Administration
This position may be eligible for a hybrid or remote work arrangement dependent with unit operational needs.
The University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University of Illinois system and was founded in 1867. The university serves the people of Illinois through a shared commitment to excellence in teaching, research, public engagement, economic development and health care. Faculty, staff and students share their knowledge, expertise and resources with residents in every corner of the state through public service and outreach programs.
The best data analysts don't just understand data—they understand the people and processes behind it. As a Data Analyst with Sponsored Programs Administration, you'll develop deep expertise in the data, business processes, and systems that help support faculty across the University in their quest to secure and manage externally funded research. You'll work closely with colleagues to understand how they work, solve reporting challenges, improve access to information, and develop tools that make complex processes easier to navigate. This isn't a role where you'll simply produce reports—it's an opportunity to become a trusted partner, a problem solver, and a person others turn to when they need to understand the data behind the work.
Job Summary
Reporting to the Senior Assistant Director of Data and Systems, the Data Analyst will primarily be responsible for analyzing sponsored program data including proposal, award, and expenditure activity, administrative process performance, and compliance and regulatory indicators and producing, maintaining, and securing reports and data visualizations that support Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA)'s pre-award and post-award functions.
This position combines functional knowledge of the sponsored research lifecycle with technical expertise in reporting, business intelligence, and data management, and serves as a key resource for translating institutional research administration data drawn from the Banner ERP system, the Kuali-based START myProposals and myResearch portals, and SPA's homegrown applications into insights that inform decisions by SPA and campus research leadership. The role also creates and maintains documentation and a data dictionary for key data terms and report logic, trains staff on self-service reporting and dashboard use, and stays current with emerging AI-enabled data analysis and reporting capabilities.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Analyze sponsored program data including proposal, awar